Direction-indicator.



L. A. ,at A; A, owN'EY. A omecfmn m'mcuon, APPLIC-ATID FILED IULY '16, 19H.

12,292,028.. y Patented Jan. 2.1, 1919.

z sums-susan. Y

- To all whom 'it muy concern:

LEE .61.

rran stares raran'r oFFCE@ WN'BEY AND AARTHUR A.. OWNBEY, OF CHATTANOOGA', TENNESSEE.

DIRECTION-minnares Be it known that we, LEE A. OWNBEY and ARTHUR A. Gwxnr, citizens of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in ,the county of Hamilton, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators; and we do hereby declare the following toy be a' full, clear and exact description of the in-4 vention, sut-has will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use' the same.

r1`his invention is an improvement in signals and has' particular reference to a directionindicator for automobiles andiy other vehicles.

If I' An object of the invention is tot'provide 'air improved ap )aratus for indlca'tmgntol pedestrians and rivers oi other "machines, thezdlrection the vehicle 1s about-to 'travel andavhich/is so constructed thatthe' indications Will.- )e visible at night4 aswell as dur- .ing daylight.

' Specification'of Letters Patent.

latentedvJan. 21, 1919.

Application filed :muy 1e, i917. serial No. `180,811.,

. Fig. I 'i5 a similar view of one of t-he shutter elements, and I Fig. S is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits employed.

The drawings illustrate what is now believed'to bea preferred form of the invention which `comprises a. metallic, substantiallyy semi-circularcasingflO, the front of which is" formed by the 'inner and outer panels of glass 11 and 12 spaced a slight distance apart, for arpurpose which 1will appear in the ,course of the description` the f `Another object is .to provide the of :Sil

the apparatus with. indicating openings rinner panel 11 being preferably painted red "dis osed onenin 13 is normal] f uncovered g .l a

adapted to be brought. into relief by sources of light within the casing and shaped -and arranged to Vclearly designate the intended directionl of. the machine, 'said openings being adapted to be covered and uncovered by vindependently adjustable shutter-elements which, when operated, separately, will expose only one of the openings at a time.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receivinga variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illus` tratingthe invention, is shown 1n the acr companying drawings, wherein r-` Figure 1 is affront elevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention,

F is a bottom plan view thereof.

`Eig. 3 isan elevation of theshutter op- @rating mechanism, the shutters being Shown in dotted lines,

Fig. al. is a vplan view o .t the shutter opi era ting mecha msm,

Fig. is a vertical transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a supporting` frame employed in connection with the invention,

as will later appear, and is adapted to indicate that the vehicle lWill travel straight ahead while the horizontally disposed openings 14 and 15 are adapted to indicate, when uncovered, that the vehicle will travel either to the leftV or right or when bothy are-exposed, that the vehicle will stop.

The bottom 16 of the casing isdetachable and provided with side and ,end 'flanges17 and' 1S respectively, 'the fianges' 17. havingspaced clips 19 for receiving the bottom edgeol the outer panel 12. Extending through the ends of the'casing l() andalso through the end fianges 18 of the bottom 16 is'a supporting rod 20 adapted to retain the bottom in proper engagement with the casing and removable in order to detach said bots tom whereby access may be had to the mechanism carried thereby. The bottom is pro, vided with the elongated openings 21 covered b v sheets of glass 22 through which the ray of light from the interior of thel casing lwill project and be cast upon licenseA plates which may be supported below the indicator if desired. The bottom further has secured thereto the brackets 23 employed for the purpose ot' mounting the indicator upon the susv formed of sheet metal `cut in vehicle in any desired place, it being understood that two of these indicators may be employed in which case one will be mounted base are the upturned ends 26 and27. .Ro-y

tatably Amounted in Ythese ends is a vpair of parallel rock shafts 28"and 28, tliefont ends of which project beyond the end 26 and have -secured thereto the shutter elements 29. rl`hese elements are preferably the form of segments and have their outer faces painted white so that when the same cover any of the openings 13, 14 orl 15 the red panelb 11 will not, be visible., ,The shutters 29 are a1'- ranged so as to occupy the space between the panels 11 and 12 and are normally in positions so'as to cover the openings 14 and 15 and leave the opening 1.3 exposed, the shutters assuming this position by reason of their own weight. The upper portion of the rear end 27 of the supporting frame isl bifurcated as indicated at 30 to Vform the extensions 31 havingtheir extremities 32 bent forwardly to provide supports for the lamp sockets 33 having the small incandescent lamps 34 mounted-therein. l

Pairs of brackets are preferably secured to the bot-tom 16 on each side of the supporting` frame 23 and each brackets has a solenbid 36Y having the usual cores 37. The outer end of each core 37 is l bifurcated at 3S andhas pivotally mounted therein one end of a link 39. The other end of the link 39 carried by the solenoid at the right of the supporting frame 23, as shown in Fig. 3, is pivotally connected to the free' end of an arm 41 secured to the rock shaft 28 upon which ismounted the shutter elcment 29 shown at the left. The link 39 connected to the core of the solenoid shown at the left has pivoted thereto one end of an' arm 4:1, the other enl of which is secured to the rock shaft `28,v carrying the shutter elenient 29l shownat the right. apparent that when either or both of the solenoids are energized, as-will appear in the course of the description, and the cores thereof are drawn inwardly the rock shafts to which said cores are connected will be actuated to swing the shutter elements 29 to a position where the same will expose the normally closed openings adjacent thereto and, by'reason of the adjustment of either or both of the shutter elements the same will assume a position to cover 'the normally exposed opening 13. Thus, if the shutter elevent that onlyl the opening pair of v It will thus be ment to the left is actuated the same will unn cover the opening 11 and will move to a position where the same will cover the open ing 13 and the shutter element to the right remaining stationary, and it will be appar- 11 will be ex posed, thus indicating that the vehicle is about to be turned to the left or the right depending upon which end of the vehicle the indicator is mounted.

Means are also provided in connection with the invention for signaling to the.

driver of the vehicle that the shutter elements havefbeen properly adjusted and that the solenoids and other connections are in proper working order, and, to this end, use is preferably made of a bell 12 carried by each'of he bars or brackets 35, each bell having associated therewith a striker 43 carried by the outer end of each core of the solenoid so that when the same v'is energized and moved inwardly, as previously described, the bells will be engaged-by the striker and rung, in which instancel the driver will be informed that the shutter element has been adjusted and that the parts are in working order.

The 'means for illuminating the lamps 34 and operating the shut-ter elements 29 preferably comprises a number of electric circuits, illustrated in Fig. S, to which current is supplied from a common source of power such as the batteries 44. The light circuit consists of al wire L15 leading from the battery to a binding post 116 carried by the bottom 16. A wire 17 extends from the binding vpost 46 and is connected to one of the contacts of a switch 18 for controlling lamps 34, and leading from the switch to the lamps are the wires 19 antb 50. The other wires 51 and 52 are joined to a binding post 53 also carried by the bottom 16 l and leading from this binding post and connected to the batteries '11 a wire 51. 1t will thus be seen that when it is desired to illuminate the lamps 31 the switch 16 ma)v be closed and thus cause said lamps to continually bum so that any one of the openings 13, 14 or 15 will be clearly visible in the night-time. It is also to be `noted that while the shutter elements 29 remain in their normal positions` the opening 13 will j to energize the-solenoid 36 shown at the right of the`severa1 figures the switch button 57' is depressed to close the circuit leading through the wire 59 connected at one end to one ofthe contacts of said switch and at its other end to the binding post 60 car'- ried by the bottom 16, A wire 61 is extended tery 44 thus completing the circuit. 'Should Then it is desired, bythe driver of the it be desired to energize` the left hand solenoid 36 Vthe switch. button 58 is operated to pass the current through the wire 65 tothe binding post 6'6.carried by the-bottom 16l and leading from this binding post is a wire 67 connected to the solenoid from which extends the wire 68 secured to the connecting point l'63.' The current then passes through the wires 64 and 65 to the batteries.

vehicle, to signal that the machine is coming to a` stop bothof the shutter elements '.29 'are operated by actuating both of the switches 57 and 58 thus closing both circuits simultaneously and actuating the elements 29to a position'where the same will expose the openings 14 and 15 and cover the opening 18. It will thus be apparent that the'shutter elements may be operated independently or simultaneously to expose either or-bothof theopenings 14 and cover the ,l opening 13.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In a direction indicator, the combina-v v tion of acasinghaving a plurality of indicatin'g openings, adjustable means within said casing normally in a position to cover 'all but one of said openings, and means for adjusting the last named means to expose any one of the covered openings and cover the normally exposed opening.

2. In a direction indicator,the combination of a casing having a plurality of indieating openings, adjustabie .means within said casing normally in a position to cover all but one of said openings, and means for adjusting the last named means to expose the covered openings and cover the normally exposed' opening.

3. In a direct-ion indicator, the combination of acasing having al plurality ot indicating openings, shutter elements within said casing normally 1n positions to cover all but one of said openings, and means for adjusting said shutter elements to expose the covered openingsl and cover the normally exposed opening. h

4. In a direction indicator, the combinaltion of a casing,

tion of a casing having a plurality' of indicating openings, shutter elements within said casing normally in positions tocover all but one of said openings, and solenoids operatively connected to said shutter elements whereby to adjust the same lto expose said covered openings and cover the normally .exposed opening.

5. In a direction. indicator, the combination of a casing having a plurality of indicating openings, shutter elements within said casing normally in positions to cov'er all but one of saidV openings and retained in ysaid position by gravity, and solenoids operatively connected to said shutter elementswhereby to adjust the same to expose said covered openings and cover-the normally exposed opening. V

In a direction indicator, the combina.-

tion of a' casing, spaced panels mounted therein, one of which is' provided with a plurality of indicating openings, shutter elements adjustably disposed between said panels and` normally in positions to cover all but one of said openings, and means for adjusting said shutter elements whereby to expose the covered openings and uncover the normally exposed opening.

7. In a direction Iindicator, the combination of a casing having a plurality of indicating openings, shutter elements within said casing normally in positions to cover f all but one of said openings and retained in said position by gravity, solenoids operatively connected to said shutter elements whereby 'to adjust the same to expose said covered openings and cover the normally exposed opening, and sources of light within said casing. y

8. In a direction indicator, the combinaspaced panels mounted therein one of which is provided with a plurality of indicating openings, a -bottom for said casing,''a supporting frame mounted upon said bottom, rock shafts mounted in said f1anie,sliutter elements secured to said rock shafts andv disposed between said spaced panels normally in positions to cover all but one of said openings, a solenoid 'supported upon said bottoni on each side of said supporting frame, and link connections between the cores of said solenoids and said rock shafts whereby the vlatter are actuated to' adjust said shutter elements when the" ments adjustably disposed between the panels and normally in positions to cover all but one of said openings, means including an electric circuit for adjusting said shutter elements whereby to expose the ioli covered openings and uncover the normally exposed opening, sources (1f-light mounted in Said casing,` and a second' electric-circuit connected with therst named circuit and closed independently thereof for illuminating said sources of light.

l0. Ina direction ndlcator, the combina- Atlon of a casing, an inner translucent panel mounted therein and an outer panel spaced j from the inner panel and having a portion 1 of lts surface opaque and the remaining portions transparent to provide openings, 

